


Crash Into Me

by CaptnSlash



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Coming Out, Friends to Lovers, M/M, One Big Family, Vehicle Accident
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-27
Updated: 2015-04-30
Packaged: 2018-03-19 20:44:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 16,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3623691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptnSlash/pseuds/CaptnSlash
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The band is touring in America when the unthinkable happens: the tour bus is involved in an accident and Calum is seriously injured. Luke is faced with the possibility of losing the love of his life and Michael and Ashton lend their support.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. All Stories Have a Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic in the Cake fandom. I stumbled upon some great stories and found out I had a few of my own to share. I'm American but I tried to add little bits of Australian slang for realism, although it isn't enough to detract from the story. I hope you enjoy.

The tour bus fit their needs for the most part, but it was difficult to find privacy with so many people around. They instituted a "band members only" policy the second week after arriving in America, and the atmosphere dramatically improved. It wasn't that they didn't like the road crew or family and friends along for the ride; they just liked spending time together without having to be on their best behavior.

Michael had hoped that they could take private jets to each of their shows but the label refused to foot the bill and none of the event organizers were willing to lay down that much cash. The bus allowed them the opportunity to travel around and see the sights and they were thankful for the driving time if it meant they could work on writing new songs and joke around. 

"Where the hell are we?" Michael asked. He took a seat and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge inserted into the wall next to him.

"Somewhere in Wyoming," Luke replied.

"Where's that?"

Luke pointed to the map on the bulletin board. They placed pins on the map for every city they had a show in once they boarded the bus; so far they had only finished about half of the shows. "I'm the middle of the country by North Dakota."

"Well, at least we'll be able to say we've been in almost all the states when this is done."

Luke and Calum shared a look. "Why is that important?"

"It's not, but we can say it and not be lying."

"Sure," Ashton said. He began laughing and tossed a pillow at Michael. Luke and Calum followed with two pillows that had been between them on the couch-like area. On the opposite side was a table and four chairs, but the surfaces were covered with sheet music for new songs they were working on. 

"Very funny."

"What were you doing in the back for so long anyway?" Ashton wondered.

"I was taking a nap." The edges of his mouth lifted to the tiniest of smirks.

"We all know what that means," Calum roared.

"I can't help it if I'm irresistible even to myself."

"There are thousands of screaming fans at every stop. You can't act like you don't have the opportunity to get laid."

"Not with fans. My mum would be reading about it in the papers the next day and I'd never hear the end of it."

"He makes a valid point."

"Besides, the bus is just for us guys and I don't see any of you offering to help me out any time soon."

Luke smiled. He had offered once, just after the band was formed, but that offer had long since expired. He knew better than to make a move on someone in the band and settled on the fact that it would never happen even though his crush on Calum was getting a little ridiculous. It was like they flirted with each other constantly, but since Calum was straight and he was...not, chances of an epic hookup were nonexistent.

"What about it, Luke?" Ashton joked. "Any chance you'll put Michael out of his misery?"

Luke was surprised by the question and didn't even know how to respond. The guys knew he was gay but it wasn't an issue for any of them. Sometimes jokes would come his way but they were harmless. None of them usually left him on the spot like this one did.

"What?"

Ashton laughed again at his expense. "You heard me. Why don't you take him to the back and have a naughty?"

"No way. Luke and I are exclusive," Calum replied, kissing Luke on the cheek for dramatic effect. He blushed and smirked at Calum for the save, making a mental note to thank him later.

"Looks like it's up to you, mate," He said back.

Ashton held his hands up. "Sorry, these babies are pretty selective about what they touch, and they only like the ladies. Looks like your hand is all you're going to get, Michael."

Michael shrugged. "No worries. I know how to keep myself happy."

They all feigned disgust and went about their business.


	2. Reassurance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, it's pretty short. I didn't want to water it down with excess dialogue and details.

Bedtime came around midnight and both Michael and Ashton moved to the back of the bus towards their bunks. Calum was playing a game on his cell phone and Luke was staring out of the window. He was having trouble getting the kiss out of his head. He knew it meant nothing and that it only happened to make the other guys laugh. 

Still, something about it stuck with him. He kept replaying it over and over in his head to remember what Calum said in the hopes of finding a double meaning in his words.

"Are you okay?"

Luke turned to Calum. He had his phone in his lap and he was watching him, causing Luke to wonder how long he had been that way.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Of course."

"Ashton was just kidding around. If you and Michael were to hook up we wouldn't..."

"Oh my god. Me and Michael?"

"Yeah..."

"I don't have a thing for Michael. Besides, he's as straight as they come."

"I didn't mean...I just want you to know that it's okay for you to be gay."

"Thanks?"

"You know what I mean. The label doesn't want you talking about it in interviews but I don't give a fuck. You should be honest with people if you want to be. They're just worried about money."

"You don't think we'd lose fans?"

He thought about the question and then shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe a few? Not enough to care about. It's more important that you're happy."

"Thanks," he said, and this time he meant it.

Calum continued to stare at him like he could see his thoughts. "You're my best friend, Luke. I like you for who you are, mate."

"I know." He supposed he always knew because that was the type of guy Calum was. He didn't care who you were or what you were about as long as you had a good heart. "Thanks for saving me earlier."

"You're welcome."

"You're a pretty good kisser."

Calum winked his left eye. "That's what all the guys tell me."


	3. Dream/Premonition

_**2 Weeks Later**_

They had just finished their tenth show in fourteen days and the guys were looking forward to the two day drive to their next show location a few states over. They loved performing, they lived for it, but touring was brutal and they were thankful for the chance to rest and recover their energy.

Luke was in his bunk when he heard the sound of someone walking around. He glanced at the clock on his phone and realized it was just after two in the morning.

"Luke, are you awake?" A muffled voice asked.

He slid open the curtain and Calum stood there in his pajamas. "Are you okay?" He inquired.

Calum nodded. "Can I sleep with you?"

Luke didn't think anything of the request. He and Calum often spent time in each other's bunks, joking about random things and playing games together on their cell phones. He scooted over to make room. 

Calum climbed inside and there was enough room for them even though it wasn't that spacious. They didn't mind if their hands or legs touched. He closed the curtain and then turned to face Luke.

"What's up?" Luke didn't like the look in his eyes and he was certain that the guy looked scared.

"I'm fine."

"Don't even try lying to me. What's going on?"

"I had a bad dream and it freaked me out."

"Oh. What was it about?"

"You died."

Luke hugged him. He could feel the tension leaving Calum's body almost immediately. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

"I know. It just really freaked me out."

"How'd it happen?"

Calum laughed and Luke released his friend. "You ate mushrooms because you thought you were going to grow big like Mario. Except they were poisoned and you wouldn't wake up."

"That really sucks. Couldn't you dream up a cooler way for me to die?"

"I tried to wake you up but you wouldn't. And then I thought about Sleeping Beauty and I kissed you, but then you just turned into ashes and blew away."

Luke hugged him again, resting his head on Calum's chest. "I'm never leaving you, Cal. And if you kissed me, I would never turn to dust and blow away."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

They fell asleep like that and the guys found them in the same position the next morning. Michael snapped a photo and put their picture on Twitter. It was retweeted over 100,000 times by just as many fans. 

"They're calling you cake," Michael reported later that day.

"Who?"

"The fans. It's your bromance name."

"It's a combination of your names," Ashton explained. 

Luke and Calum high-fived each other. "Then it's settled. From now on the only dessert we eat is cake."

"But I really like ice cream," Luke complained.

"Then we'll start eating cake with our ice cream."

"Deal."

Michael narrowed his eyes to the point he caught everyone's attention. "I can't decide if I'm gonna sneeze or if I should start up a tumblr blog and post pictures of you two for your fans."

"You'd better not. The label would probably flip out."

"Let them. We can make awesome together without them," Calum joked, smirking at Luke in the process.

"Yeah, and we can all work at **_Taco/Taco_** to pay our bills in between uploading videos on Vimeo."

"It would be worth it," Calum agreed.

"You guys are crazy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As far as I'm aware, Taco/Taco isn't the name of a real business. Someone should get started on that.


	4. A Move is Made

Luke appeared outside of Calum's bunk that same night. He climbed inside after being invited and closed the curtain. 

"You just couldn't stay away, huh?"

"You're just so irresistible."

"I know it. Don't worry, it wears off after a while."

"Never."

"We'll see."

"Have you had any more weird dreams?"

"Just the one where you and I got married and adopted a child from every major country."

Luke raised an eyebrow. He so wished that could happen but he wasn't about to give his one secret away. "Really? Did we live happily ever after?"

"Of course. You plus me equals eternity, kid."

Luke laughed at his corniness and turned on his side so that he was facing Calum. "Promise me if we're still hot when we're thirty and no one has married us, we'll run away together and live in sin on our own private island."

"That's a given. I was wondering if you were ever going to ask."

"Well, I debated on it for quite a while. Sometimes you smell bad."

"I do not! I shower every day."

"It's probably all those sit-ups you do to get those abs in perfect shape."

"There is a price for beauty, my friend."

"It'll be fine. I'll just make sure we have lots of soap on the island and it will never be an issue."

Calum leaned closer to Luke and smelled him. "You smell like cherries."

"It's my body wash."

"Do you taste like cherries now?"

"Don't know."

Calum licked a spot on Luke's neck and it took all of his effort to keep from moaning. Calum smiled and licked another spot next to it. "You actually do taste like cherries."

"You're a big liar." His mind was on the verge of exploding. He didn't know whether Calum was making a joke or actually making a move.

"You can't lick yourself so I guess you'll have to take my word for it, Lucas."

"I can't believe you licked me."

"You're delicious. Not as good as me, but..."

Luke didn't waste the opportunity. He grabbed Calum's arm and licked a spot on one of his wrists. A moment later and his eyebrows were pushed together. "You taste like Vegemite."

"I must have dropped some there earlier."

They both laughed. Calum turned and stared at Luke's lips. 

When he leaned in, Luke was in disbelief. His mind shut down completely and he found thinking very difficult; even breathing was challenging. Calum's lips pushed against Luke's and their eyes both closed as they leaned into each other. Luke's hand, still holding Calum's wrist, slipped up so that their fingers could interlock. And then the kiss was over and they were still holding hands.

"Calum, you kissed me."

"You kissed me back."

"I'll always kiss you back," Luke said.

"Good."

"But why?"

"I really like you."

"Aren't you straight?"

"More or less. Labels aren't important to me. I just know that I've been wanting to kiss you for a long time."

Luke smiled. "I'm glad you finally did it. I was too afraid to make a move."

"Seriously? Why?"

"I thought it would freak you out and then you'd never want to hang out in my bunk and you'd stop being my best friend."

Calum kissed his hand. "I'm glad you were wrong."

"Not as much as I am. You're a really good kisser."

"So are you."

"Which of us is better?"

"We better kiss again to figure it out."

And they did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it turns out that Calum really likes cherry. (C;


	5. Happy/Sad

They both woke up to the sound of Michael snapping another picture. "Hashtag adorable."

"We're going kill you," Luke promised.

"Hey, we have to give the fans what they want and your bare asses are getting old. Just go with it."

Calum reached over Luke and closed the curtain. They heard Michael leave the area and it wasn't long before their phones went off with notifications of the picture going live. 

"We're going to have to respond with photos of him in embarrassing positions," Luke stated.

"For sure. Do you think he still sucks his thumb when he sleeps?"

"Probably. Good morning."

"Hey," Calum whispered.

"That's all I get?" Luke wondered.

"Well, what do you want?"

"You."

"I see. Does this mean that you're secretly a morning person, Lucas?"

Luke shrugged. He kissed Calum and then rolled onto his back. "I'm pretty sure I'll take you whenever I can get you. I'm not picky."

Calum climbed on top of him and kissed him back. Luke bucked his hips up and made Calum smile.

"Luke, we can't do that now. The guys are already awake and you know we'll be stopping for breakfast soon."

"But I'm only hungry for one thing."

Calum laughed. "Me too, definitely. But let's wait until tonight."

"Why tonight?"

"We're going to be pulling into Oklahoma City. We can get a hotel room."

Luke was impressed. He wondered if Calum had thought about such a scenario before or if he was just good at thinking on the spot. Luke knew him pretty well and he had never known Calum to plan much. "Really?"

Calum nodded and he began nibbling on the lobe of Luke's ear. "We're going to want privacy tonight, Luke. I'm pretty sure you're loud."

Luke gasped and then nodded. He didn't want to wait but it was probably the safest option with Michael roaming around with a camera phone. "Fine. Tonight."

"Good. You stay here."

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to tell the guys we're skipping breakfast."

Calum climbed out of the bunk and he closed the curtain. Luke couldn't stop smiling. He couldn't believe how happy he was and how much different he felt. Everything had changed over a period of only a few hours time. 

He was just starting to picture Calum naked when he found himself flying up and hitting the top of the bunk. He came back down on the mattress and hit his head on the wooden wall in time for the bus to turn over onto its side. The sound of twisting metal and objects breaking all around him reverberated everywhere as the panic set in. He collided with the wall and the light bulb sprayed glass over the mattress when his head hit against it.

He blinked a couple of times even after the bus seemed to stop moving. He didn't know how long he had been there or how many times the bus had rolled; he didn't even know what had happened. Then he remembered Calum was out there and he climbed out of the bunk to get to him.

The bus was turned and he was essentially standing on the wall so he had to jump over Ashton's bunk to get to the front of the bus. When he got in there, Ashton and Michael were both standing over Calum, who was on the back of the sofa. Broken objects and random papers were strewn about haphazardly. 

"Is he okay?" Luke asked, his voice trembling.

"He needs a hospital."

Luke ran to him and kneeled down. His body was covered in cuts from the window glass that was all around them. He looked back at Ashton and Michael and they hadn't escaped the glass either.

"I hit my head," Calum said. His pupils were larger than normal and the capillaries in his eyes had burst, leaving tiny stains of red. 

Luke grabbed his hand. "You're gonna be fine."

"I'm gonna go see if the driver is okay," Ashton reported. Michael kneeled down next to them but stayed quiet.

"This is really bad timing. We were gonna get lucky tonight," Calum complained.

If Michael was surprised by that fact he didn't say anything. Luke sighed. "Well, we still can. We'll just be in your hospital room instead of a hotel."

"It's a date."

Ashton reappeared with wide eyes and the color had drained from his already pale face. "The driver is dead."

"Oh my god."

"I saw some cars stopped on the side of the highway and someone was on the phone calling for help."

"I'm really tired," Calum revealed.

"You have to stay awake. You probably have a concussion." Luke didn't remember where it was that he learned concussed people shouldn't fall asleep but it didn't matter; he was glad he knew to keep Calum awake.

"I'll try."

"I'll let you lick my neck again..."

"Don't tease me like that. It hurts to move."

"Stay still. You might have a back injury," Michael instructed. Luke was thankful that Michael and Ashton were with them and safe. By the looks of the area they were in he didn't understand how any of them survived.

"Do you know why we crashed?"

"No idea."

"I don't either. We were just talking to Calum one minute and the next there was glass everywhere and we were all in different spots."

Calum raised his hand and pressed a sore spot on Luke's head that caused him to flinch. "You're bleeding."

"I hit the lightbulb in your bunk. It barely hurts." It was a lie. It stung, but it wasn't high on the list of important things.

There were the sounds of footsteps and suddenly people began peering in through the open windows. "Are you kids okay?"

"The driver is dead and one of our friends needs an ambulance."

"We called 911 and they should be here soon. There are other fatalities in the other car."

"We don't even know what happened," Luke said.

"The car swerved into your lane and the driver tried to avoid them but they still hit the vehicle. Then the bus flipped into a ditch."

"We flipped all the way over?" Luke asked.

Michael and Ashton looked at him in disbelief. "You didn't feel it?"

"No. I hit my head and I was out of it for a while, I think."

"You all are going to be fine. You'll get checked out at the hospital."

Calum squeezed Luke's hand. "You're gonna have to call my mum and dad for me."

"Don't worry. I will."

"We can hear sirens. Help should be here before too long, kids." An unknown woman reported, trying to be comforting.

"Did you hear that?" Luke asked, looking into Calum's eyes. "We're gonna be in a hospital room in no time."

Calum laughed and then he began to cough up blood. Luke began to panic because he knew that was a very bad sign. He turned to Michael and Ashton who looked equally worried. 

"We may have to postpone our date," Calum admitted, wiping the blood on his black shirt.

"Just focus on getting better. We have plenty of time for that."

"Speak for yourself. I'm coughing up blood."

Luke kissed him on the cheek. "It's serious, yes, but we're in America, the land of extreme healthcare costs. They couldn't charge so much if they weren't good at what they do. You don't have anything to worry about."

"Except the bill," Michael joked. 

Calum's eyes slid closed. Luke began to panic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel bad for leaving it there. It just made the most sense, I guess.  
> Comments/reviews are always appreciated.
> 
> Michael may be changing the color of his hair in later chapters. What color would you like it to be?


	6. The Waiting Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for my delay in posting. I developed a temporary aversion to editing and had to regain the will to do so. Maybe I was cursed?

Luke was sitting in a wheelchair as Michael pushed him into the waiting room. Ashton looked up and seemed relieved to see them. "Is there any news?" Michael asked, thankful that they had the room to themselves.

Ashton shook his head. "He's still in surgery."

"I should call his parents and give them an update," Luke announced.

"No need. Our parents are all on a plane and they won't be able to take a call until they land."

Luke was happy to hear that his mum and dad were coming. He wasn't a child; it wasn't like he needed them by his side every minute of the day, but it isn't every day that you and your friends come close to knocking on death's door. He found that expression weird but he was too exhausted to go into it.

"Did the doctor explain the surgery?" Michael wondered. He had stayed with Luke in the ER while Ashton was brought up to the waiting room when Calum was taken for emergency surgery, and he and Luke didn't know much about what was happening.

"Not much. He just said that Calum has a concussion and internal bleeding and they had to get him into surgery to find the damage and repair it."

"What about you two?" Luke asked. "Are you sure you're both alright?"

"We just have some cuts and bruises. Nothing major."

"Me too," Lucas said.

"He lies. He has a minor concussion and he keeps getting dizzy. His balance is messed up so they made him sit in the wheelchair," Michael explained.

"I'm just glad it wasn't more serious," Ashton admitted. 

Luke knew what he meant but he didn't take comfort in it; he couldn't with Calum cut open on a table somewhere down the hall.

Ashton sat up as he remembered something. "Oh, the record label president is flying in with our families. They're canceling the rest of our tour."

"How are the fans taking it?"

"Most of them are tweeting about the accident. They aren't releasing anything about Calum and some blog is reporting that two of us died so they're all freaked out."

"We're going to have to make a statement."

"The label guys will take care of it. We just need to stay here and wait for Cal to wake up."

"I can't believe this happened. It was such a normal day." He was talking about having sex with his crush one minute and in the next they all had injuries of varying degrees. It didn't make sense how things could shift so drastically in such a short amount of time.

"It was a serious accident and three people died. We're all lucky to be alive."

Luke couldn't reach Ashton but he was close enough to Michael to pull him into a hug. Ashton soon joined them. He was sure that they were all crying but none of them cared - they just wanted their fourth member back.

A nurse walked into the room and cleared her throat to get them to separate.

"I'm sorry to interrupt. Security just called and members of the press have started showing up downstairs. I'm going to close this door and we suggest you don't go anywhere else in the building in case any of them sneak inside."

"Thank you."

"Do you know anything about our friend?"

She shook her head and Luke wondered how many times a day she was asked that question. "I only know that he's still in surgery. I'm sure the surgeon will give you an update as soon as he can."

She turned to leave and closed the door. Michael and Ashton both took seats and they began to wait.

"It's going to take almost eighteen hours for our families to get here," Ashton calculated. It wasn't like they had anything else to talk about. 

"That's, like, an eternity."

"I can't stand waiting," Luke admitted. "I have to know what's going on or I'm going to lose my mind."

Both of the guys grabbed his hands and gently squeezed. "He's where he needs to be right now. You heard what the nurse said."

He nodded slowly. He felt the tears falling down his face again. "I love him," he admitted.

"We do too."

"No, I mean I'm _in love_ with him. How did I not know that until right now?"

"Because you're scared of losing him. Luke, we always knew that you liked Calum."

"You did?"

Michael nodded. "Why do you think we never got mad at you guys for going off on your own? You two were practically dating and you two were the only ones that didn't know it."

"And we're happy for you," Ashton added.

"Thanks guys. I just need him to be okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aren't Michael and Ashton the bestest friends ever? ;)


	7. C17H19NO3

They were taken into the hospital room after the nurse finished setting up the machines. Luke broke down when he saw that both of Calum's eyes were covered with gauze and that he had multiple scrapes and bruises all over his arms and legs. Ashton put a hand on his shoulder for support, knowing it wouldn't be worth much.

"He came through great," the surgeon explained. "We opted to remove the spleen instead of trying to repair it. The gauze over his eyes is to help keep the medication there and to cut back on headaches caused by the light. He'll be awake in a few hours."

Luke looked up at him from the wheelchair. "So, he's fine?"

"He'll be exactly the same as he was before the accident, minus the spleen. We'll monitor him for infection over the next few days and release him before the weekend if he does well. We had to give him medication which sometimes causes temporary amnesia but it usually wears off fully within an hour or two. We gave him a blood transfusion to replace what he lost and that should also counter the affect of the anesthesia."

"Thank you, Doctor," Michael said. Luke laughed when Michael pulled the guy into a hug. They both patted each other on the back and then the staff left them alone, closing the door so that they would have privacy.

Luke wheeled himself over to the side of the bed and took Calum's hand. He rubbed his palm with his thumb and fought back the tears for fear that his entire face would turn red and puffy or prune up, neither of which he wanted Calum to see when he woke up. "We're going to have a great story to tell all those kids we're going to be adopting," Luke whispered.

"Luke, Ashton and I are gonna leave for a little bit. We won't be far if you need us."

"Are you sure?" He asked. He didn't understand why they needed to go.

"Yeah, you guys need some privacy and we're going to put something up on Twitter letting our followers know that we all going to be okay."

He nodded and watched them leave. The loud click of the door carried throughout the room and bounced off of the bare glass. Outside it was cloudy and there were the beginning stages of rain drops on the window. "Cal, you're going to be fine. I don't know if you can hear me, but the surgeon said that you're going to be just like you were before."

No answer came. He continued holding Calum's hand as he struggled on what to call him. Were they boyfriends after just a few kisses and snuggling? They were talking about having sex but the logical side of Luke's brain told him that sex was all it was and nothing more. After all, Calum himself had said that he was more or less straight.

"I'm in love with you. I'm scared of losing you and I'm scared of you not feeling the same way about me. Mostly, I'm just scared."

The hand he was holding began to squeeze back. "Are you there, Cal?"

Calum's free hand rose up to his face and began feeling the gauze. Luke gently moved his hand away. "It's okay, they just wrapped your eyes to make sure you get medication in them."

"Take it off," Cal croaked, his voice rough like every word was strained.

"I will. I'll call a nurse and make sure it's okay."

Luke found the call button and pressed it. A nurse entered the room a few minutes later and both Ashton and Michael were right behind her.

"He wants the bandage off," Luke explained.

"Sure," she replied, as though it was a normal reaction. For all Luke knew, it was.

She found the loose end and began unwrapping the bandages. "Your eyes may be extra sensitive to the light for a few days, but it's only because of the concussion. Could one of you boys close the blinds?"

Ashton crossed the room and used the drawstring to close them. The room was darker but not by much since there were still fluorescent lights on inside the room. She finished unwrapping the bandages and Calum blinked a few times. He squinted his eyes as he looked around the room and they stopped searching when they came to Luke.

"What happened?"

"We were in an accident. You had to have emergency surgery."

"I feel fine," he replied. Then he saw the wheelchair. "Luke, are you alright?"

Luke stood up but he fell right back down into the chair. "He's fine," Michael promised. "He just has a concussion and it makes him dizzy when he tries to stand up. Ashton and I made it through with some cuts and scrapes but no major damage."

"My stomach hurts."

"It's probably the incision," the nurse said, checking one of the monitors as she took his pulse. "You're on a morphine drip and it will give you a dose when you push the button, but it will also keep you from giving yourself too much at once."

Luke was able to reach the button and he delivered it to Calum's hand. He pressed the button and the machine hissed as the drug went through his IV. The nurse looked around. "I'm going to let the surgeon know that he's awake. Just press the call button if you need anything."

"Thank you," Luke told her.

She closed the door as she left. Michael and Ashton took positions around the bed.

"We posted an update on Twitter and let everyone know you made it through surgery. Our families are on a flight to come here and they should get in around three in the morning."

"I can't believe this happened. The last thing I remember is biting Luke's ear."

"Too much information," Ashton joked.

"It happened just after that," Luke reported. 

"At least we'll be able to use this to write an awesome song. I feel bad about canceling the rest of the tour though."

"What?" Calum looked horrified.

"You're going to need time to heal, mate. The doctor said they had to remove your spleen."

Calum began to smile. He turned and looked at Luke. "You're so hot right now."

All three of them started laughing. It felt good considering what they had just been through. "I think the morphine is kicking in, Cal."

"It feels amazing. Do you want some?"

"Maybe later."

"Someone sing me a song."

"What do you want to hear?" Michael wondered. "One of ours or a cover?" 

Calum had already fallen asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mentioned amnesia as a temporary side effect because it is pretty common with those types of medications. I didn't want to do the whole "I forgot we kissed and talked about boning" trope so I made it into a non-issue except for the fact that he doesn't remember the accident, and that doesn't seem at all out of the ordinary.
> 
> Be honest, who looked up what **C17H19NO3** meant?
> 
> PS: I still need suggestions for a new hair color for Michael. Give 'em to me fast, folks.


	8. Luke's Damage

It was just after midnight when Luke became so tired that he couldn't stay awake. The nurse set up three cots so that they could all stay together since the reporters were still outside of the hospital. He dreamed that Calum died and he woke up with so much force that the cot collapsed underneath him. He would have thought it funny if it happened to him before the accident, but now it just seemed like a kick to the gut when he was already down. Literally.

If it woke up any of the other guys they were being quiet. He decided to stretch his legs and left the room, walking down the hallway. He came upon the restroom and walked inside, splashing water on his face. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and it was then that he saw the extent of the damage.

He was given ten stitches to close the wound in his head caused by the lightbulb, but the glass had still taken its toll. He had tiny cuts from his hairline to the bottom of his chin that reminded him of the time he caught chickenpox. He also had a black eye. He left the room and vowed to avoid mirrors until his injuries would have time to heal.

He continued walking down the hallway and he stared out of the window at the city around them. There were lights on in the buildings like any other city but it felt peaceful, like most everyone was asleep and dreaming. It had a serenity to it that was refreshing.

"Are you alright?"

He turned and found Michael watching him. He nodded. "I guess. I look like I'm trying to be the next Chucky doll for Halloween, but I'm not in any pain."

"Did you have a nightmare?"

"Yeah. How about you?"

"I dreamt the three of you died and I was left all alone."

"It was just a dream," he told him, and he gave him a hug to help it sink in. 

"I don't understand how the accident even happened. We didn't deserve it and I doubt the driver did either."

Luke grabbed his shoulders and looked into his eyes. "It doesn't work like that. We weren't being punished for something and no one was doing it to see what would happen or how we'd react. It was an accident, a twist of fate that made things crazy."

"I'm never going to look at a tour bus the same way."

"None of us will."

"Come on. Let's go back to bed."

They walked back into the room and Michael helped him fix his cot back to how it was before he woke. He got underneath the blankets and turned to Michael.

"Michael, are you still awake?" He whispered.

"Of course I am; it's only been, like, thirty seconds."

"I love you, Michael."

"I love you too, Luke."

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Ashton yawned. "You guys don't love me?" 

"So much so it's borderline sick and twisted," Michael responded. Luke nodded his agreement despite the darkness of the room. Ashton smiled and they all fell back asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Luke seems calm and collected but that may not be the case. He's been through a trauma and everyone handles that experience differently. You'll see what I mean in the following chapters.


	9. Stand By You Man

He felt someone tapping him and he opened his eyes. The events of the last few days returned to his memory at the same moment he realized that he was still in the hospital room. He sat up in the cot and stared at Ashton, balancing his weight to prevent another collapse.

"What time is it?"

"Almost noon."

"I slept that long?"

"The doctor told us to let you rest. Do you think you can walk without crashing to the floor?"

"Let's agree not to say 'crashing' ever again, okay?"

"Deal."

Ashton helped Luke up to his feet. Luke panicked when he realized Calum was gone, but Ashton patted him on the shoulder and it was both relaxing and comforting. "They took him for an x-Ray a few minutes ago to make sure nothing was missed. He'll be back as soon as it's done."

"I thought..."

"Don't think like that."

"Yeah. Wait, where are we going?"

"The waiting room."

"Why?"

"There are some people there that want to see you."

Then he remembered. His parents were flying in and they were due to arrive hours earlier. Ashton stopped supporting his weight in increments along the way and by the time they made it to the waiting room, Luke was walking of his own accord without getting dizzy. His mother and father saw him and ran towards him, folding their arms around him and squeezing him a little too tightly.

"Are you okay, honey?" His mother asked.

"I'm fine."

Once they let him go, the rest of the guy's parents hugged him and greeted him. It felt nice, but the scene was oddly incomplete without Calum there too.

"Why didn't you wake me when you got In?"

"The doctor said to let you get your rest. We didn't think you'd mind sleeping in."

Luke understood. It wasn't that they didn't want to see him, he reminded himself, because they didn't yet know that he was in love with another guy. He watched them and tried to gauge how their reaction would be. They knew he was gay, of course, but knowing that fact and having it actually exist in front of their faces were very different things.

"We're just so glad you're alright," a man said. Luke tried to place the guy but he couldn't. Then he remembered that the label sent people and it fit into place.

"Are we going home?" He asked.

"No, we're staying here," Michael responded, beating everyone to it.

"Really?"

"We rented a house a few miles outside of the city and you guys are going to go there and recuperate. Think of it as a vacation."

"The doctors want Calum close by and won't release him to fly for two weeks. We're all going to wait until he gets better and then we'll decide if we want to finish the rest of the tour or if we need a longer break," Ashton said. Translation, the people at Capitol Records were worried about their state of mind and thought a little rest was necessary to deal with one of them almost dying. Luke didn't exactly think it was a bad idea.

"We'll be leaving in a few minutes," Luke's mother said.

"I'm not leaving the hospital."

"But you're fine...," His dad reminded, confused about his persistence.

Luke looked them both in the eye. "I'm not leaving Calum alone in this hospital." No one dared argue with him.

He walked back to Calum's room and waited. He knew he was being rude and inconsiderate to his family but he couldn't deal with vanishing on his boyfriend without making sure he was fine. And he didn't even know if they were boyfriends, which brought up another level of anxiety. Calum's parents entered the room and they both shared a look before they started clearing the cots.

"Let me do that," he said.

"I won't have it. You need to rest," Mr. Hood insisted. 

"There's no point in arguing, Luke. My husband is under orders from your mother."

"I'm sorry. She's just worried because I'm not leaving."

"We all understand. Calum almost died and he's your best friend. You belong here as much as we do."

"Thank you for understanding." It wasn't quite accurate since they didn't know the extent of it all, but it worked. It made him feel better on some level knowing that they were aware how much he cared for Calum, even if they didn't know how important their son had become to him.

The sound of a bed being rolled into the room drew all their attention. Calum's bruises and cuts looked just as bad on him as they did the previous day, but they were offset by the smile on his face. "There's our boy," Mrs. Hood chimed.

"You guys look terrible."

"We can't all look as handsome as you do. Have any of the nurses given you their phone numbers yet?"

Calum met Luke's eyes. "Loads of them; a few doctors, too."

"That's my boy. The men in our family don't waste any time."

Calum's mother rolled her eyes as the staff finished getting him hooked back up to the monitors. "The doctor should be by in a few hours after taking a look at your x-Ray. Just press the call button if you need anything."

Once the nurses left, Calum's mother hugged her son. She did her best to fight back the tears but they eventually won the battle. Luke suddenly felt in the way, as though he were trespassing during a sacred moment. He stood and walked slowly towards the door, mostly to make sure he didn't fall and cause a scene.

"Where are you going?" Calum asked.

Luke turned and looked at him. "Um, I was gonna give you guys some privacy. I'll just be down in the waiting room."

"There's no need. We're all family here."

Luke smiled and he knew it wasn't very convincing. No one called him on it and he was thankful. "I'm just going to use the restroom and brush my teeth."

"Don't make us come looking for you. Your mom made us promise to keep you close and we're not going to let her down."

"I won't be long." He left the room and breathed a sigh of relief. 

"Do you need any help?" A nurse asked. She had multiple packages of gauze in her arms and she looked at him with a mix of concern and suspicion.

"Is there any chance you guys have a toothbrush and some toothpaste?"

She nodded and turned behind her. "Marge?" She called out.

"Yeah?" An older nurse replied, bending over the station to look at them.

"Can you get this guy some toiletries?"

"Of course."

"Thanks," he told her. She nodded and resumed her journey to wherever she was headed with the supplies. Marge vanished out of his sight and then reappeared with multiple items in her hands.

"We've got toothpaste, deodorant, hand lotion, hand sanitizer, and a toothbrush. Can I get you anything else?"

"No, thank you. This is great." He took the items and headed for the restroom. He dumped the items onto the counter and stared at himself in the mirror, breaking his promise to avoid them. He still looked dazed, he realized, and he wondered if that look would ever go away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm new to 5SoS and know next to nothing about the guys and their actual family lives. I've created my own interpretation and hope that it's convincing. I'm going to post one more chapter because I can't help myself and then I'll take a few days off. 
> 
> Make sure to subscribe to the story to be alerted with updates, or bookmark it and check back every few days.


	10. Bacteria and Gelatin

Luke rejoined Calum and his parents not long after he left them. They passed the time by making fun of American soap operas even though they weren't all that different from Australian ones. Calum fell asleep sometime after two thirty and Mr. Hood left the room in search of the cafeteria. Luke was quiet, even more than usual, and Mrs. Hood noticed.

"What you've been through will take some time to get over. You might even need counseling, which is understandable. Anyone that has been through an experience like you have needs support for a while and that's perfectly alright."

Luke could see that she was speaking out of concern and not judgement. "Calum isn't freaked out by this."

"Of course he is, Luke. He's just hiding it because he can see how freaked out you are."

"I'm sorry."

She laughed at him which is something he wasn't expecting. She patted him on the hand before staring into his eyes. "You have nothing to be sorry for. Michael and Ashton told us how you put pressure on the wound. Calum could have died if you hadn't done that."

"I just did what had to be done."

"It's obvious that you and my son care for one another. Friendships like yours don't come around all that often and the possibility of losing someone you care about in such a violent way is bound to cause feelings to emerge."

He stated back at her and wondered if she was understanding more than she was letting on. He dismissed the thought, deciding that she couldn't possibly know just how much he cared for her son. "I guess so."

"You're going to need to spend some time with your parents too, of course. But you're where you need to be at the moment and they understand that."

"I hope they do. It's not that I don't want to see them. I just feel like I have to make sure Calum is okay before I can even think about leaving."

"They understand and they know you need some time. Right now you just need to be a good friend to Calum; it will help you both deal with this."

"I guess you're right. I just didn't realize that at the time."

"That's why we're the parents."

He agreed with her. He watched Calum sleep and just the sight of him safe and sound made Luke feel more at ease. Mr. Hood returned fifteen minutes later with turkey wraps and complaints about the long line. They ate their food in silence until the Doctor entered the room.

"I'm Doctor Bridewell, the surgeon that operated on your son."

"Thank you, Doctor. We appreciate everything you've done for him."

"Of course. Might I speak to the two of you in the hallway for a few minutes?"

"Sure. We'll be right back, Luke."

Luke watched them leave. He put his food down in the chair and walked to the side of the bed. Calum opened his eyes and blinked a few times before giving him a toothy smile. "Be honest. Am I still hot?"

"You were pretending to be asleep?"

He shook his head. "The doctor woke me up when he came in."

"Oh. So you got some sleep?"

"A little, but I'm still pretty tired. Are you going to tell me or do I have to ask one of the nurses?"

"You're still hot, even with all those purple bruises. You're lucky you didn't break your nose."

"So are you."

"I'm lucky your bunk didn't have more lightbulbs."

"Yeah. At least you were safer in there than in the rest of the bus."

"I guess that's true."

"Want to have a quickie before they come back in?"

Luke smiled. He was in awe of how Calum could get him to do that so effortlessly. "We both wish. But I don't want to explain what we're doing to your parents when they walk in on us."

"It would be worth it though."

"Obviously."

"Do you think the doctor has bad news?" Calum asked, and Luke could see the worry on his face.

"I don't know. I hope not."

"Get into bed with me."

Luke shook his head but Calum was persistent. He was about to get into the bed when the door to the room opened and the Doctor entered with Calum's parents. 

"What's going on?" Calum asked.

"Calum, this is Doctor Briedwell. He performed your operation."

"Am I okay? Did it work?"

"Well, there are risks with all types of surgery. The nurse drew some blood this morning before you left for the x-Ray and we're concerned about the risk of a bacterial infection. The spleen is an organ that helps our bodies fight bacterial infections and while you can live a perfectly healthy life without the organ, sometimes complications occur."

"You think he has an infection or he does have one?" Luke wondered.

"There's a possibility. We've received conflicting information from your lab results and we think it's best to be proactive. The good news that if it is an infection, it's still in the early stages. We're going to start you on some IV antibiotics to nip it in the bud. We'll keep an eye on you and do another blood analysis in twenty-four hours. I don't want any of you to worry, just as I told your parents."

"Okay, that sounds like a good idea. Thanks."

"My pleasure. I'll pass the medication order on and someone will be by shortly to get you started. Now, if you three don't mind leaving the room, I'd like to take a look at the incision site."

"We'll be in the hall, honey."

Luke followed them outside. They both looked far more concerned than Luke thought was reasonable and he began feeling concerned. "What aren't you telling us?"

"His pancreas is inflamed. If it doesn't get better he can be at risk for serious complications."

Luke ran his hands through his hair. He was tired of being afraid for Calum, and more importantly, tired of being powerless to help him. "I'm sure it'll be fine. Calum is a fighter and you know he won't let a little bacteria bring him down."

"Of course he won't. And medications are strong these days."

None of them were quite optimistic, but they preferred to hold out hope. Once the Doctor gave the all clear, they re-entered the room. 

"The doctor says I can have gelatin."

"Great!"

"Feed it to me, Lucas."

"I can do it...," Mrs. Hood began.

"It's okay. I don't mind."

She nodded her approval. Luke followed Calum's instructions and asked Marge for the supply at the nurse's station. He was given two flavor choices and it was a no-brainer. When he returned to the room, Calum was anxiously waiting. 

"They had two flavor options: orange and cherry. I took a wild guess."

Calum chuckled to himself and waited for Luke to open it and give him a spoonful. He winked at Luke as soon as he tasted it. "Cherry. My favorite."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't resist putting in the nod to Calum's love of cherry after the whole licking scene earlier in the story. 
> 
> Do you think Mrs. Hood knows about Luke's feelings for her son? Comment to let me know.


	11. Checking In

Luke's parents came to pick him up just after sunset. He didn't want to leave but he knew he needed to, and he promised Calum he would bring Michael and Ashton back the following day. He was quiet in the car as his parents told him about changes to their neighborhood back home and how they still had fan letters delivered to the house almost every day of the week. He was told about the neighbor's children who got caught selling photographs of their house to his fans and he admired their business acumen. It was a welcome distraction even if he didn't feel like responding.

He was greeted by the guys when they got back to the house that the record label rented for them. All of the executives were gone so it was just the guys and their families which was a welcome surprise.

"How's Calum?"

"He's doing well. They're worried about a bacterial infection so they started him on some antibiotics."

"But he's not sleeping the whole time, right?"

"Off and on, but he's mostly awake. The medication might make him tired but he promises he'll be awake when you guys come back to the hospital with me tomorrow."

"Sounds good."

"I'm gonna go take a shower," he reported, although he doubted anyone cared.

"I'll show you where your clothes are," Michael offered. He led them down the hallway to one of the bedrooms. Inside were shopping bags with his name written on them in permanent ink. 

Luke took a peek inside and raised an eyebrow. "Who bought this stuff?"

"The record label. Isn't it great?"

He shrugged. It wasn't exactly his style but he was in no position to complain. He just wanted to wash away all of the blood, sweat, and fear. He knew he was going to have to be careful with the stitches in his head but he didn't care; he needed a shower like a pregnant woman needed an epidural.

He emerged feeling more tired than he expected. He collapsed on the bed that his penguin had been placed on and he hugged it, thankful that someone had thought to salvage it from the bus. It wasn't as comfortable as Calum, but it would do for a night or two.

He closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him.

* * *

He woke up to the sound of Ashton calling his name. He sat up and stared at him while he wiped the gunk from his eyes. "What time is it?"

"Nine thirty. You were really tired, huh?"

"I guess so."

"Come get some breakfast before we head to the hospital."

He nodded and stood up. Ashton disappeared only for Michael to take his place. "Are you feeling okay? How's your head?"

"It's fine. The headache is gone and I can walk without falling over."

"That's progress. My mom and dad are driving us and we're gonna stay at the hospital while they bring Calum's parents home for a shower and a change. I'm guessing you guys will have a whole hour of cuddle time."

"Really?"

Michael nodded and laughed at his reaction before leaving the room. Luke's mood instantly improved. He settled for a plain bagel and a banana because they were quick and easy. His mother spent five minutes telling him how he needed to eat better and that he looked too skinny but he didn't listen to most of it.

When they arrived at the hospital, Luke was happy to see Calum looking better than he left him. All of the parents said their goodbyes and Luke waited a few minutes before climbing into the bed as carefully as he could. They kissed, not caring that Michael and Ashton were watching them.

"I thought they would never leave."

"They're difficult to get rid of," Calum admitted. "My mom asked me about you."

"She did? What did she ask?"

"She wanted to know if we're more than friends."

"What did you tell her?" Ashton and Michael were equally curious but they remained quiet.

"I told her that I love you and that you're my boyfriend."

"Oh my god. What if she tells my parents?"

"She won't because I told her not to. Besides, I still have to tell my dad."

"They shouldn't be surprised. Your photos on Twitter were trending the entire day of the accident."

"I love you too," Luke said. He kissed Calum and put his head on his shoulder.

"We should make a video and announce your relationship. It will be epic."

Calum and Luke both shook their heads. They were happy to know that the other was in agreement. "We want to keep it quiet, at least for a while."

Michael nodded, understanding. "Well, Ashton and I are going to go flirt with the nurses. Have fun." Ashton waggled his eyebrows at them before they closed the door.

"I missed you last night," Calum admitted. 

"Me too. I had this huge bed and cuddling Mr. Penguin isn't the same."

"Did he make a move on you?"

"He tried, but I told him that I was taken. I also warned him that you'd cut him if he didn't behave himself. I think he got the message."

"Good. I don't like sharing you."

Luke laughed. "Since when?"

"Forever. I might fall asleep on you."

"That's okay. I'll be here with you."

The room was quiet for close to half an hour, but the noise level was raised when security escorted Michael and Ashton back to the room. Once the guards left, the two of them broke into a fit of laughter as Luke and Calum watched.

"What did you do?"

"One of the nurses told us that there are fans outside the hospital. They figured out where we are and they've started faking illnesses and going into the Emergency Room in the hopes of seeing us. So Ashton and I decided to let them see us."

"You didn't."

"We did, my friend. We caused a stampede of fans to rush the ER, but it was epic. We got video."

Luke couldn't keep a straight face and neither could Calum. The video footage was hilarious, including the security guards and physicians asking everyone to leave the area so that they could help people with real emergencies. Michael had to comfort everyone before they would leave, but it ended up not being much of a problem.

"We're confined to this floor unless we're entering or exiting the building."

"I can't believe you guys did that. Our parents are probably going to yell at us."

"The fans just wanted to make sure everyone was alright. It will be fine."

"Did you get any numbers?"

The smiles vanished from their faces. "Not a single one. The staff isn't allowed to date the family or friends of patients."

"That's a stupid policy."

"I know, right? It should be illegal. This is America - the land of the freakin' free..."

Calum squeezed Luke's hand and he kissed his cheek. 

"Let me guess. Gelatin?"

Calum nodded enthusiastically. Luke slid himself off of the bed and he walked into the hallway. A security guard eyed him but Luke just smiled at him, pitying the man, and proceeded to the nurse's station. A blond nurse greeted him.

"Where's Marge?"

"Her shift is over. What can I help you with?"

"Calum is requesting cherry gelatin."

"Coming right up. What about your friends?"

"They're requesting phone numbers from female staff members."

She laughed and walked to a refrigerator. She returned with four cups of Jello and four plastic spoons inside of a wrapper. "I can't help you with the phone numbers, but I can give you something to feed them."

"Thanks," he said, before disappearing back into the room. He set all of them down on a table before removing the cherry gelatin for Calum.

"She gave me extra if you guys promise to behave yourselves."

"Yeah, right," Michael quipped, as he took the blue cup of gelatin and one of the spoons. Ashton took the orange one, which left the green one on the table. He figured it was either apple, lime, or watermelon. 

He turned his attention back to Calum. He peeled back the lid and stared at the contents before digging a spoonful out for Calum. For his boyfriend. He fed it to him and Calum was happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think writing this story has created for me an infatuation with Jello. I don't know why.


	12. The Big Reveal

_**Three Days Later**_

Calum was being released. Luke and the rest of the guys were at the house while the parents went to get groceries; Calum's parents were at the hospital helping with his discharge. Everyone was planning on staying for two more weeks and then flying back to Australia. The record label was fending off interview requests but they all knew it was just a matter of time. The label could use the accident for publicity and publicity inevitably led to higher sales, after all.

Luke was nervous, mostly because he was anxious about having all the people around to watch his and Calum's interactions. "They're going to figure it out."

"What?"

"My parents are going to figure it out."

Ashton got an understanding look in his eyes and he nodded. "Probably. You should just tell them."

"Awesome. Thanks for the suggestion."

Ashton took a step away from Luke and he crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Luke, I'm sorry. I didn't mean..." 

Ashton looked dazed by his harsh words and Luke immediately felt bad. "No, I'm sorry. You're just trying to help."

Ashton relaxed slightly and his hands fell back to his sides. "Do you want us to talk about you two and act like we didn't know your parents were in the room?"

Luke shook his head. He was nervous but he wasn't raised to be a coward. "No, I'll do it when they get back, first thing. That way I don't have time to chicken out."

"Good idea, mate."

"We'll see if you still feel that way when I'm locked in my room or dragged back to Australia without you guys."

"Luke, you're nineteen," Michael reminded. He had been sitting in the chair behind them and kept quiet the whole time. 

Luke didn't understand why that mattered. "They're still my parents."

"It's all going to be alright. Even if they never speak to you again and denounce your relationship, you'll have us. And think of the money you'll save when you don't have to buy them a house when they want to retire on a beach somewhere."

Luke smiled. Leave it to Michael to come up with the most nonsensical comment that provides the right amount of reassurance. He walked to Ashton and hugged him. Then he moved to Michael. 

"Uh, Calum isn't going to get jealous of the love you're giving us, right?" Michael, of course, as Luke's arms wrapped around his shoulders..

"I'm allowed to give hugs to anyone."

"Cool."

They broke up the hug when the sound of a car horn at the front of the house caught their attention. They walked to the front and made their way outside expecting to see the parents back from their grocery shopping excursion. Instead, they saw Calum's parents helping him out of the rental car.

"There he is!"

"Looking good, mate!"

"My boyfriend is so hot."

Everyone stared at Luke like he had grown an extra set of heads. Calum laughed. "Best reaction ever, Lucas. I knew there was a reason I liked you."

"There's more. The parents are out shopping and I made them promise to get you cherry gelatin."

"Are you trying to fatten me up?"

Luke shrugged. He hadn't thought of why he had them add it to the list other than he knew that Calum would like it. "I wouldn't complain if you were happy about it."

Calum hugged him as his parents watched. They were smiling but they also seemed to be feeling awkward about the situation. They had thought their son was straight and there was never anything that made them question that assumption until they saw Luke's reaction when his parents tried to get him to leave the hospital with them. Luke even wondered if they thought he turned Calum gay somehow, and if that was the case he wished he had developed that superpower in high school. 

Michael caught on to their reactions and he and Ashton walked over and hugged the both of them too, eliciting laughter from everyone.

"Ouch. It still hurts a little to laugh."

"That's how you know it's good for you," Mr. Hood said..

"Come on. Let's get you to bed."

"Luke! My parents are right here," Calum joked. Luke just rolled his eyes and led him inside.

He was settled in his room when the rest of the parents returned.

"Wish me luck."

"For what?" Calum asked.

"Luke's going to tell his parents about your relationship."

"I'm going with you."

"No, Cal, you should rest."

Calum shook his head and stood up, despite the fact that it took him a good thirty seconds to do it. "I want to be there when you tell them."

"Okay," he agreed. Truth be told, he was thankful to have the support.

He led Calum into the kitchen as Michael and Ashton followed. The parents were discussing currency conversion and the price of vegetables when Luke asked to speak to his parents. Calum's parents seemed to know what was about to happen and they watched quietly from the kitchen table.

"Can it wait, hon? We've got a lot of groceries to put away."

"Not really."

"Okay, just give us a moment and we're all yours." She stopped and turned to him when she realized her son's answer.

"Calum and I aren't just friends. I love him and he's my boyfriend."

A silence swept over the room before Michael's parents laughed. Luke didn't know if he should be happy or offended by their reaction and he was taken off guard. "Honey, that isn't news," his mother revealed to him.

"What do you mean?"

"We realized a long time ago that you two had feelings for one another. To be honest, it was part of the reason we felt comfortable letting you go on tour."

"You knew all this time? Calum and I didn't even know until the day before the crash."

His father shrugged. "Maybe we just saw the signs more easily because we expected to see them at some point. Luke, we're proud of you and we love Calum. We couldn't be happier that you two are together."

"Really?"

"Of course. What makes you think we'd be bothered by your relationship?"

"Well, you did send me to a Christian school."

"Yes, because it's a good school. It's not like we go to church every Sunday."

"I guess so."

Calum hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. "There. That was easy, huh?"

"Wait until you tell the executives at the record label," Ashton said, implying that he expected them to not take the news all that well.

"They probably already know. It's their job to be cognizant of such things. Besides, the way you two are always going on about each other in interviews and flirting during shows, I'd bet on it."

"Not to mention those Twitter photos," Ashton's mother said, smiling. All of the adults nodded.

"Cool. I'm sleeping in Calum's bed from now on."

The parents didn't seem upset in the slightest. "Good," Luke added. He was surprised to say the least, but happy that things had worked out for the best.

"So, I have an idea," Michael announced, drawing everyone's attention. "I think we should make a video once Calum has rested. We'll tell the fans we're sorry for missing their shows but that we'll be back to honor their tickets and we can do something special for them...like volunteer in their cities or something."

"That's code for Michael will flirt with every girl he sees while the rest of us perform manual labor."

Michael shrugged. "You guys are cute and all but look at me. There's no comparison."

"I wouldn't say that," Calum interjected. "My boyfriend is fuckin' hot."

"Language," Calum's mother called. Calum's language wasn't exactly a surprise to any of them.

"We'll figure the details out later. For now, Calum needs to get in bed and recuperate."

"Are you going to be telling me what to do from now on?"

Luke nodded. "I saved your life, remember? That means you're my responsibility."

"Then take me back to my room. And make sure you guys knock if you want to come in, just in case." Luke blushed but he held his head high as he walked Calum back to the bedroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a bad coming out, huh? I agreed with those of you that thought most people would know. The only ones who weren't aware at first were Calum's parents but they quickly caught on. I'm not sure how many more chapters are left but I'm gonna take it as far as I can. Thanks for your continued support!


	13. A Trip to the Store

Luke's eyes scanned the aisle in the store. He didn't see any other people, or hear any for that matter, but he knew it was within the realm of possibility for the press or some of their fans to have tracked them down. There was a large red "W" over the front door and he could see it from where he stood, about twenty-five feet away.

Michael pushed him gently on the shoulder. "Would you relax? They're gonna think we're going to try to rob the place."

"Sorry."

He turned and watched how Michael bit on his lower lip while he surveyed the shelf. His hands picked up a box and he rotated it in his palms before putting it back. Luke didn't think he needed to dye his hair - it had been teal blue for almost a month straight and it had barely faded, although his roots were now just starting to become visible.

"Can't you decide?"

Michael shrugged. "This is an important decision."

"Why don't you just go with a darker blue? You could dye just the roots."

"No. I'm sorry, Luke, but that is a horrible idea."

Luke smiled. Now that he thought about it and pictured Michael with two-tone hair, he knew the guy was right. "Sorry."

Michael picked up a box and held it against his chest. He inhaled and exhaled a few times before nodding. "This is it. Let's go."

"What color is it?"

He moved it out of reach and behind his back so that Luke couldn't see. "You'll see when my hair is finished."

Luke felt like protesting. "You're being a punk. I drove all the way to this store with you and you're not even going to let me see what color you picked out?"

"No way. I don't want your reaction to make me second guess my choice."

Michael started walking and he continued hiding the box as Luke followed. They didn't even make it half-way down the aisle before Michael stopped. Luke turned to see what he was staring at and the amount of different types of condoms made his mouth hang open in surprise.

"Why are there so many?"

"Men like options, my friend, and so do the ladies."

"I guess so."

Michael turned and looked at his face. Luke instantly became self-conscious and Michael saw it as easily as he recognized the colors in a box of crayons. "Ohmygod. You're..."

"Are we done?" Luke knew the only option was to try to deflect his attention elsewhere, but his friend was having none of it.

"Luke? Are you a virgin?" His eyes were wide and his voice a whisper.

"Yes, I am. So what."

Michael looked like he had been slapped. "I had no idea."

"We never really had a reason to talk about it. Besides, it isn't like I could hook up with random guys doing what we do."

"Of course you could. Uh, does Calum know?"

"I haven't told him but he hasn't asked."

Michael scratched the back of his neck. He stiffened his posture and then clapped his hands together. "Alright. I guess I'm going to have to teach you the basics."

"Excuse me?"

"About all this stuff, I mean."

"Michael, I may be a virgin but I'm not an idiot. I know what this stuff is used for."

"Have you ever bought any of it?"

"Well, no, of course not."

"You have a boyfriend now and you're going to be having sex sometime in the near future. You need to be prepared."

"Okay, yes, you're right. But it's not like we're going to do it in the house with everyone hanging around."

Michael rolled his eyes. "Calum isn't a virgin, Luke. Be serious about this."

"I am."

"I saw how you two looked at each other this morning. You're sleeping in the same freakin' bed! It's going to happen and we're talking days, maybe even hours."

"He can't have sex yet. He just had surgery."

"You know nothing about this at all, do you?"

Luke crossed his arms defensively. It was a touchy subject if he was willing to admit it, but he preferred to act nonchalantly. He turned to the condoms and the multitude of options only raised his level of anxiety. "I don't know what to get," he admitted.

"Luke, my man, I'm your friend. This is the stuff that guys talk about."

"Have you talked to Ashton or Calum about condoms?"

"Not ever. But our relationship is different."

"It is?"

"We're like best friends that talk about the people we slept with the night before. It's totally normal for you and I to talk about condoms."

"So which ones should I get?"

Michael's eyes scanned the shelves and he pointed to a box. "That one."

"Michael, that's a bulk pack. There are fifty condoms in there." Michael's only response was a smile. Luke surveyed the box and then shook his head. "Pick a different one."

Michael did as he was told. He pointed out another one on the shelf above it. Luke picked up the box and felt like the amount was more conservative. He wasn't planning on having sex with Calum three times a day, although he wouldn't necessarily be opposed to seeing how long they could follow that schedule before they collapsed from exhaustion. "They're purple."

"Color makes it fun. Color makes everything fun."

"There are two different kinds. Do I get the ribbed or the ultra thin?"

"That depends on which of you is going to be..."

"Getting it?" It was Luke's turn to smile and he didn't disappoint.

Michael blushed as he nodded. "Yeah, exactly. The thin ones will make it feel like the giver doesn't even have it on but the ribbed ones are going to provide more stimulation for the one getting it."

Luke felt like running for the hills. He put the ribbed ones back and picked up the ultra thin. "I don't know if I could handle the ribbed ones at first."

"That's cool. You'll work up to it."

"You're having way too much fun with this."

"Absolutely! Now, what kind of lube do you want?"

"There are different kinds?"

"Let's see - you're gong to be wearing a condom so water-based is probably best, and the warming and desensitizing aren't made to be used with condoms, so that narrows it down." Michael picked a green bottle from the shelf and handed it to him.

Luke took a look at it. He found that it didn't look like much, but he knew it was important to the process. "Okay, this will work."

"Great. You're all set."

"Michael?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

"No problem, man."

"Please never tell anyone about this."

"Deal. Let's get back so I can do my hair."

"We still need to get Ashton's Cheetos and chocolate for the moms."

"I forgot. Let's get the goods and then we can go."

"Sounds good to me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had the idea of Luke and Michael going hair dye shopping earlier in the story and at the store I worked at a few years ago, the condoms were down a ways in the same aisle. That seemed like a funny interaction so I had to write it out and see what happened. I hope you're happy with it.


	14. Caught With The Goods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know... I sort of vanished off the face of the Earth for a little while. I'm back with more story and I hope you like it!

Michael disappeared into one of the bathrooms as soon as they got home, and Luke disappeared into his and Calum's bedroom. Calum followed him in and caught him closing the top drawer to the dresser. Luke turned and smiled but his expression read as guilty.

"What are you up to?" Calum inquired.

"Me? Nothing."

"I don't believe you." Calum walked over and kissed him on his lips. He repeated the process a couple of times before taking a step to the side. While Luke was recovering from the experience, Calum began to open the drawer.

Luke grabbed his arms and tried to redirect him without causing him any pain or injury, failing miserably. Calum found the condoms and the lube nestled between two pairs of white socks and he raised an eyebrow at his boyfriend.

"What's this?"

"You know what it is."

"I want you to say it, Lucas," Calum whispered.

"Condoms and lube."

"Why did you buy condoms and lube?"

Luke knew that Calum was enjoying their exchange far too much. "Do you like torturing me like this?"

"You're adorable when you're nervous."

"You know why I bought this stuff. Michael helped me pick it out."

"Did he?"

Luke saw his expression change. "I-is that okay? I just don't have experience buying this stuff."

Calum's smile returned. "Of course, I'm okay with him helping you out. I'm sorry. I just need to take my pain medication."

"You haven't had it yet?"

"I wanted to see you and talk to you. I get tired and fall asleep as soon as I take that stuff."

"Well, I'm back now. I'll stay with you."

"Just until I fall asleep. I don't want you wasting the day away on me."

"It's not a waste."

"Luke, I was just teasing you before. I think you're cute and I love that you wanted us to be prepared."

"I know you can't have sex yet. You're still in pain and recovering from the surgery, I mean. But we'll be ready."

"I'm not gonna lie, I'm already thinking about doing you right here, right now."

"You know it's too soon. I read your discharge instructions."

Calum laughed. "Well, I'm sure we can work around my stitches."

"We're following your surgeon's orders exactly, Cal. I'm not about to get busy with you only for you to start screaming in pain. You know everyone in the house would rush in to see what's going on and I'm not going to be okay with showing everything off for my mom and dad to see, let alone your parents."

The smile slid off of Calum's face. "Yeah, I don't like the sound of that either."

"Good. Then we'll wait until you're all healed up." Luke closed the drawer and he led Calum to the bed. Calum climbed in while Luke searched through his medication bag. He could feel Calum's eyes on him and he couldn't deny that he liked that feeling.

"Just so we're clear, if it weren't for my overprotective boyfriend, we'd be getting off together right now."

"It's a good thing you have an overprotective boyfriend that cares about you." Luke winked at Calum for added benefit as his hand wrapped around the bottle of pain medication.

"Maybe. I guess I'm fond of him."

"You sound so convincing."

"I think he's a great guy and he's a hottie for sure. All the girls say so."

"Don't try to seduce me to get me to change my mind. I'm not going to fall for your charm."

"Oh, I'm charming?" Calum asked, knowing Luke's answer.

"Don't act like you don't know. You could make a tree hot for you if you wanted to."

"You're pretty confident in my skills, Lucas."

Luke shrugged. "Your skills are how you got me to fall for you in the first place."


	15. Promises, Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Michael's new hair color is revealed! It was either going to be white or this color and after the last chapter it became obvious.

Luke woke up and Calum was gone. He stood and stretched his arms before leaving the room. He walked into the kitchen following the familiar sounds of Ashton eating cereal, specifically Cheetos. Ashton was sitting alone at the kitchen table with his cell phone in front of him, some YouTube video playing at a low volume.

"Have you seen Calum?"

Ashton jumped from the sudden voice. He looked up and glared at Luke. "You scared the hell out of me! I think my heart actually stopped beating."

"I'm sorry. I'm just looking for Cal."

"He's in the other room watching TV with Michael."

"Where is everyone else?" The clock on the wall showed that it wasn't more than ten minutes after five, and the parents were all gone. It didn't make sense. 

"The parents left to get some movies and pizza. It's about time you woke up."

"Why?"

"Michael has threatened to wake you up three times just to show you his hair. He's impatient."

"Then I guess I better go look."

He left the kitchen and walked to the living room. Calum was asleep in the recliner and Michael was watching an episode of _True Life_ on MTV. He sat up when he saw Luke enter and he smiled as he pointed at his hair.

"Well? What do you think?"

Luke laughed. "Your hair is condom purple."

"Do you like?"

"It's my new favorite. It makes you look more youthful."

"No, that's just from me watching MTV."

Luke sat next to him on the couch. "How long has he been asleep?"

"About an hour. He said you were stealing the blankets in the bed."

"Oops." He and Calum had had that discussion many times, but Calum was too nice to wake him up or steal them back.

"You're worried about him?"

Luke met Michael's eyes. "When did you become so perceptive?"

"I don't know but it's kind of like my new superpower."

"I'm afraid of losing him, Michael. I love him so much already. What happens to me when he dies?"

"It's way too soon to be thinking like that."

"Is it? He almost died a week ago. We all could have died."

"None of us are going anywhere, Lucas," Calum promised, wiping the sleep from his eyes. He sat up in the chair and motioned for Luke to join him. It was a tight fit, but they managed. "We all like you too much to leave you."

Luke admired the sentiment but he knew it wasn't realistic. "The smallest mistake could happen at any moment and you could die."

"We're all going to die, Luke. We're here to enjoy our time together before we move on to whatever comes after this."

"I know I'm being a little..."

"Paranoid?" Michael offered. The scorn on Calum's face caused him to be quiet and look away.

"I guess. It's just that there are so many unknowns. You could slip in the shower and hit your head, or your heart could just stop beating in your sleep."

Calum wrapped his arm around Luke's waist and held onto him tightly, not enough to make breathing difficult but enough to provide comfort. "So could you. We've been through a horrible experience and all of these questions are normal. It's not like we're going to be here forever."

"We could try."

"We'd fail."

"He's right," Michael interjected. He continued when Calum didn't look angry at him for speaking. "Things happen and we're just going along doing the best we can to recover from the things that happen to us. Sometimes our choices help us and sometimes they don't."

Luke thought about his words carefully. "So, what? You think I should just forget about it and go back to how we were before?"

"I'm just saying that our time is limited and we have to enjoy as much of it as we can, filling every second with as many experiences as we can get. The good is what we'd prefer to go through, but the bad changes us into better people. Just think about you and Calum."

"What about us?" Calum questioned.

"You two were together before the accident but now you've experienced what it would be like to possibly live without the other person. That seems like something that would either strengthen a relationship or destroy it and you're still together as far as I can tell."

"I guess. But I don't think it's just that easy to continue on," Luke said. He didn't understand how it seemed so easy for them when he was afraid all of the time.

"Luke, we're already doing it. Are you sure something else isn't freaking you out?" Calum asked.

Michael didn't know what Calum meant but he decided it was best to give them privacy. He left the room and Luke shook his head. "Not that I know of. Honestly, I love you so much that I'm terrified you're going to be here one minute and then gone the next."

"I don't think it's possible to prepare for something like that, but if I get a say in it, I won't go without a huge fight."

"You promise?"

"Only if you promise me the same."

"I promise," Luke declared, and he meant it.

Calum kissed him on the lips. "I promise too."

"Did you two just get married or something?" They both turned to the entryway and Ashton stood leaning against it, his smile wide. 

"Not yet, but we'll get there one day." Calum decided.

"We will?"

"I promised to never leave you without fighting to stay and you promised the same to me. I intend on spending the rest of my life with you, Luke."

Luke laughed. "I'm pretty sure it takes more than a promise to each other to be happy."

Calum shrugged. "Sex is definitely a big part of it."

Ashton rolled his eyes. "Are you two going to be flirting like this all the time?"

"Absolutely," they admitted, speaking in unison.

"I'm not complaining, it's just that I might get a little nauseated from the excessive cuteness. I mean, an entire litter of puppies have nothing on you two."

"He's got a point," Michael interjected, speaking from the kitchen. "It's like overloading on cake, pun intended."

They all laughed at his joke. "Sorry guys, we can't help it. We're in love."

Ashton crossed his arms. "I guess we can deal with it, but we'll have to have ground rules."

"Like what?"

"No make out sessions on the bus, for one." Luke didn't know where Michael got that idea but he didn't intend on following it.

"Right, and no sexy times on the bus when we're with you," Ashton added. Luke sighed loudly because Ashton's suggestion was just as bad.

Calum kissed Luke on the neck and then he slid his hand up Luke's shirt and rested it on Luke's stomach. "Sorry boys, Luke and I can't meet your terms."

Michael re-entered the room and he returned to his spot on the couch. "Do you think the execs will pay for a second tour bus?"

"Doubtful."

Michael got a mischievous grin on his face. "Alright, if you two don't follow those rules, then we reserve the right to get lucky on the bus too."

Luke nodded. "I don't have a problem with that. You and Ashton would make a cute couple."

They turned and looked at each other. "What? What are you talking about?"

Calum's fingers slid along Luke's abdomen. "Luke's right. The rule about only us guys on the bus supersedes all other rules, remember? If you two want to get lucky, you and Ashton are the only available options."

Their eyes met again and Ashton crossed the room. He kneeled down in front of Michael and he batted his eyes like the women in old movies. "I never thought I'd admit this, but you and I would make a hot pair. The fans would go wild."

"Are you being serious right now?" The fact that Michael wasn't sure if it was a joke or not made it funnier.

Ashton placed his hand on Michael's knee. "I know it would be weird at first, but I could make you happy. We could never have sex together with the lights on, but I just know that we'd be good together in bed once we got everything worked out. And I will pledge my love to you, Michael, if you promise to feed me Cheetos."

"I think he's making fun of us," Luke revealed.

Calum nodded slowly. "Such improper behavior requires a punishment."

Michael stood up and placed himself between them and Ashton. "No, you can't take him from me if he's my only option for sex with another human and I can't go on using my hand forever. I volunteer to take his place...as tribute."

"No, my love," Ashton pleaded, wrapping his arms around his waist. "You're a lover, not a fighter. You'll never survive."

"I'll do it if I must, for you."

"Then I will tell everyone of your sacrifice and tattoo your name upon my body," Ashton promised.

"Okay, I think you guys are overacting a bit," Luke admitted. "You can still hook up with girls off of the bus."

Their eyes met and Michael walked away from Ashton. "Then I renounce my claim to volunteer. I'm too pretty to starve to death while attractive people attempt to maim and kill me as I wrestle with my humanity and conscience."

"You...you would leave me, just like that?" Ashton tried to create fake tears but none came.

Calum clapped his hands. "Bravo! You two might have a future in acting if this music stuff doesn't work out."

Luke shrugged. "I found it tedious and unoriginal. I can't recommend anyone spend their hard earned money to see it."

Michael and Ashton stared at him. "You have no appreciation for the creative process."

Luke laughed. "I don't have time to have appreciation, I'm too busy banging my boyfriend on our new tour bus."

"In between our make out sessions with heavy petting, of course," Calum explained.

"Then we'll just have to get a double decker bus and you two can have your own floor."

Ashton's eyes lit up and he hugged Michael. "You're a genius. You should work on world peace next, my friend."

"It's on the agenda but I'm still waiting for an invitation to speak before the United Nations."

"It's just a matter of time. Maybe if you dyed your hair red, white, and blue?"

"You think?"

"Why not?"

Michael thought about it for all of five seconds. "Nah, those colors are everywhere. I'm all about originality."

Ashton nodded. "That's because _you_ have an appreciation for the creative process."

"It feels good to have someone recognize my talents."

"It's hard not to, my friend."

Luke couldn't help but laugh at the craziness of it all. He was with his friends, as odd as they were, and he loved each of them. They had the ability to lift his mood so easily that it seemed as if they were made of magic and happiness. He kissed Calum and then watched as Michael caught Ashton in a headlock. Ashton broke free by tickling Michael's side and before either of them could plan their next move, the engine of the vehicle pulling into the driveway drew them to the front door.

"I hope they got Chinese food."

"Or pizza."

"Five bucks says that they got healthy food," Calum wagered.

Luke took the bet. Calum won.


	16. The Interview

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is short and to the point. I didn't want to add a bunch of filler when it wasn't necessary.

Luke felt nervous. Not like first day of school level nervousness, but the _my-mother-found my-gay-porn-stash-and-she's-going-to-tell-my-father-as-soon-as-he-gets-home-and-I'll-die-from-the-embarrassment_ level of nervousness. They were sitting on an oversized couch which was comfortable enough, but he had to remember to avoid reaching for Calum's hand or showing too much affection when he spoke his name.

The record label had organized the impromptu interview pretty quickly and even though Luke didn't want to do it, he knew they were contractually obligated. Calum suggested it might help him to talk about it but he wasn't certain it would do any good. His mother wondered if he had PTSD and he neither knew or cared whether he did or didn't, he just wanted to be with his boyfriend and friends and do what they did to entertain their fans.

The interviewer held a clipboard and her dress was a little too short for Luke's taste but he knew that was just a false image she was projecting. He did his research on her and was impressed with her master's degree in sociology and her bachelor's degree in journalism. She smiled at the four of them.

"Alright, just to remind all of you, this interview will be taped and edited before airing tomorrow night on our show. We'll have an advance copy for you to view first thing in the morning in case there are any errors or things we need to tweak. Just speak freely and honestly as much or as little as you're comfortable with."

"That sounds easy to remember," Ashton said. He smiled, laying on the charm. The interviewer blinked a couple of times and her smile remained on her face which left Luke with the impression that she was flirting back but being careful to avoid crossing a line.

"The camera is rolling in three...two...," the man behind the large, bulky piece of equipment informed.

"Welcome to Access Tonight. I'm Katie Gentry and I am sitting with four brave young men who survived a horrific accident when their tour bus collided with another vehicle. I am, of course, referring to Five Seconds of Summer. We have Ashton, Michael, Luke, and Calum. Thank you for being here today."

"We're happy to be anywhere," Michael joked. 

"I can only imagine what you have been through. Calum, let's start with you. You sustained the most serious injuries in the accident; can you comment on how you're doing?"

Calum sat quietly for a moment as he organized his thoughts. They had all been given media classes by the record label after they were signed and it was more useful than any of them had realized before. "I'm doing well. I still have stitches from the surgery but I'm healing."

"We're happy to hear that. How have you coped as you've dealt with this?"

"All of the guys and our families have been great, but especially Luke. He's really supported me a lot through this."

The interviewer's eyes drifted to Luke. "How does that make you feel to hear that, Luke?"

"I think he's stretching the truth a little bit."

"No, you're the one making sure I follow the doctor's orders. Remember?"

Luke concealed his smile at their inside joke. "That's what you would do for me. Any of the guys would. We're just a big family."

"I'm happy to see that this experience has brought all of you closer. Ashton, how are your fans handling the news?"

Ashton went on about the stampede at the emergency room and how he and Michael had been updating people on Twitter. Luke wanted nothing more than to hold Calum's hand but he didn't dare do it while the cameras were rolling. At least, not until they had that discussion with the record executives.

"I have to say, after reading all of the tweets from your fans, it's obvious they really support each and every one of you. Have there been any discussions about when you'll return to your tour?"

"We'll have to discuss it with the record executives. It becomes an issue where some of our venues have to be rebooked and that requires looking at multiple schedules and lining up dates. We'll be back on the road as soon as we possibly can."

"Absolutely," Calum affirmed.

"There have been reports that you'll all be returning to Australia for a little while. Can you confirm this?"

"Most likely, we'll go back for just as long as it takes everyone to get back to where we were before the accident," Michael explained.

"I see. Have any of you been experiencing any post traumatic stress from the accident?"

"I probably have. It's more that I'm just scared of losing my best friends," Luke admitted. "I'm sure I'll end up speaking with someone when I get back home to help me work through it."

"That's understandable. Some people have this view that psychotherapy is only for weak people but I think it's entirely the opposite."

"We do too," Calum replied, putting his hand on Luke's shoulder for support. Then he proceeded to mess up his hair like nothing had changed between them.

"All right. That does it for my questions. Are you guys up for taking a few questions from Twitter?"

"Of course."

She looked at a monitor close to them and began reading: "Cass178gypsy asks, how do you like Oklahoma?"

"It's beautiful, at least what we've seen of it. It's a lot different from Australia but it still feels similar."

Ashton leaned forward in his seat. "Yeah, it's like what we'd have if we didn't have so much desert."

The interviewer laughed. "Trevslipz22 asks, are you guys planning on writing songs about what you all went through?"

"As far as I know we don't have any specific plans to do that, but we write songs while we're on tour and it will probably come up at some point."

Katie nodded. "That makes sense. Well, thank you all for being here today. All of us at Access Tonight wish you a speedy recovery."

"Thank you," they took turns saying. Luke took in a deep breath when the camera stopped rolling. He was happy the interview was over with and that he got through it easily.

"That wasn't so bad, huh?" Katie asked.

"Not bad at all," Ashton replied, winking at her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For some reason I picture Ashton being the biggest flirt out of the guys, with Michael being a close second.


	17. Basic Human Connection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Sexytimes ahead. Avoid reading if you don't like m/m love.

Luke's eyes flew open and he sat up in bed. He was out of breath and sweating. He turned to Calum in the hope that he hadn't woken him but he found his boyfriend staring back at him.

"Are you okay?" Calum asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine," he lied.

"Did you have a bad dream?"

Luke nodded. He rested his head back against his pillow and tried to even out his breathing. "It was the accident. It kept happening over and over and none of you could hear me when I tried to warn you."

Calum's hand slipped over his and he squeezed gently. "It was just a dream, Luke. It's probably because we talked about it yesterday."

Luke thought he was right. He glanced at the clock and realized that it was just after six in the morning. He knew he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep so he decided to take a shower. "You get some sleep. I'm gonna get in the shower."

Calum smiled. "I'll never be able to sleep with that image in my head."

"Well, you know what today is, right?"

Calum's eyes narrowed. Luke could see that he was trying to remember whatever it was but he was coming up empty. "Just tell me."

"It's the tenth day from your surgery."

"So?"

Luke leaned in and kissed his neck. "You're allowed to take a shower on the tenth day after your surgery."

Calum's eyes flashed understanding. "You're inviting me into the shower with you?"

"Don't get any ideas. You still have another week before you can even think about having sex."

Calum frowned. "That totally sucks. I can't wait much longer."

"You just have to wait five more days."

"That feels like an eternity, Luke."

Luke laughed at him, his dream now forgotten. "I'm pretty sure that it won't kill you."

Calum sat up in the bed. He hid the sharp pain that his movement caused even though it quickly subsided. "You know, there's no note from the doctor that says _you_ can't have sex."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "What are you saying?"

"Meet me in the shower and find out."

Calum got out of bed and walked into the adjoining bathroom. Luke heard the water come on a minute later and he was too intrigued not to go. Besides, he wanted to be close to Calum and he knew the guy was going to need his help to avoid getting his stitches wet. He got out of bed and walked to the bathroom.

Calum was completely naked. They had both seen each other in the nude before but it was now in a different context. Luke couldn't help but stare. "You look so hot right now, Cal."

"Even with my stitches and bruises?"

"I like the beat up look. It turns me on."

"Then get over here and join me."

Luke turned to one of the cabinets in the bathroom. He opened it up and pulled out a box of waterproof gauze pads. He tore one of the packages open and then placed it against Calum's skin, letting the adhesive form a seal to keep water out. "That's probably going to hurt like hell to get off."

"It's worth it. Take off your clothes."

Luke did as he was instructed. They were both standing naked in front of each other and the lust and need in their eyes was tangible. "We'd better get in there."

Calum opened the door and he let Luke go inside first. He joined his boyfriend and closed the door. Steam had already started to turn the glass semi-transparent and the steam made Luke look more ethereal to Calum. He reached out his hands and grabbed his waist before kissing him on the lips.

"Cal, I haven't brushed my teeth yet."

"Neither have I. Just go with it."

Luke laughed at him. He let out a moan when Calum's hands lowered to between his legs. "What are you doing?"

"Just relax and let me take care of you," Calum insisted. Luke watched as he lowered to his knees, slowly and carefully. Water fell against his back but Luke's height blocked him from a full onslaught of water. Luke's hands searched for something to hang onto when he felt Calum's lips on him.

"Cal...?"

A hand appeared on his stomach and the tips of fingernails slid against his skin, creating the sensation of pleasure. Luke felt his grip slipping so he grabbed the bar on the wall and held on as louder moans escaped his mouth.

"Cal, what if someone hears us?"

"They already think we've been going at it. Just enjoy this."

Calum resumed with more enthusiasm and Luke felt his body responding to the sensations of pleasure. It wasn't long before his toes were curling and he was panting. Calum got back up to his feet and smirked at Luke.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"You're adorable."

"I didn't even last two minutes."

Calum shrugged. "It happens to all of us. You'll get better with practice."

"Thanks."

"I love you, Luke."

"I love you too."

Calum kissed him as he reached past Luke for the body wash. "Five days and counting, penguin boy."

"Did I say five days? Maybe it was three?"

Calum laughed. He poured body wash onto Luke's shoulders and began rubbing it in with his hands. For a little while nothing outside of the shower mattered, they were just two guys in love connecting on a basic human level. Luke felt like he was in the best place in the world.


	18. Omega

"What have you two been up to?"

Calum and Luke both smiled at Michael. Ashton looked up from his cell phone and stared at all of their faces. He knew he had missed something.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing," Calum replied. Luke nodded his agreement but that only made Ashton more suspicious. He looked at Michael.

"Spill it, mate."

Michael took a step away from them and winked at Ashton. "I'll give you three guesses."

"Oh."

"Calum can't do that for another week, guys."

Michael laughed. "Calum wasn't the one I heard moaning through my bedroom wall."

Ashton smirked. Luke crossed his arms. "I hate all of you."

"Even me?" Calum inquired.

"Never you," Luke promised. He hugged his boyfriend and ignored when Michael took out his phone and snapped a photo. They both received notifications on their cell phones when the picture went live on Twitter.

"I should definitely print that one out," Michael commented. 

"Our parents might like copies," Calum told him. Neither of them had moved to break the hug and there weren't any intentions to do so.

"The record label guy is coming to review the interview tape with us in a little while. Are you guys going to spill the big secret?"

"What if he doesn't like the news?"

"Guys, all of our families are here somewhere and we're leaving for Australia tomorrow. We can totally beat the guy up and flee the country to avoid prosecution."

Luke appreciated their support, not that they would need it.

 

_**The End** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My thanks to everyone who provided kudos and comments to keep me going. I hope you enjoyed the story!

**Author's Note:**

> All spelling and grammar errors are my own. Feel free to point them out so that I can correct them. Some chapters will be smaller than others to avoid unnecessary filler.


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